Chapter 85

#85 <The Epic for the Villain (6)>

Jin-hyeok casually leaned his arm out of the driver’s side window.

Someone had offered a hefty sum to kidnap a man and a woman. Upon closer inspection, it seemed they wanted them dead. If someone was willing to commission such a task, it was safe to assume they wouldn’t reveal their identity.

But.

“I just can’t understand why you’d do a job for someone you don’t even know.”

He felt the need to pressure them to keep them in check.

Moon Seok-il weakly shook his head. Not only was he physically agile, but his mind was sharp too. Could someone his age really think that far ahead? In such a situation, even a saint would likely lose their temper. Then again, this was the same monster who had effortlessly taken down four human weapons in an instant. So, even if something stranger happened, it wouldn’t be surprising.

Still, now wasn’t the time to overthink things.

“I’ll find out! I’ll find out who’s behind this!”

Moon Seok-il declared, as if making a vow to himself and his comrades, glancing around the car. The priority was to get to the hospital and treat his friends.

Jin-hyeok’s hardened expression softened slightly. Finally, the words he wanted to hear had been spoken.

“That’s the way. Don’t forget, you owe me your lives.”

“Y-yeah. So, can you just drive…?”

“Ugh-!”

Kuh-luck! Kang Heon-chang vomited blood. A dark red pool of blood gushed onto his white shirt. The metallic stench of blood mixed with the acrid smell of gunpowder filled the car.

“Ughhh-.”

Kang Heon-chang, gripped by pain, rolled his eyes back.

‘Looks worse than I thought.’

Jin-hyeok felt around Kang Heon-chang’s abdomen and chest with his hands. He had no medical knowledge, just relying on instinct. Since he’d decided to give them a chance, it was better if no one died. If someone got seriously hurt, they might hold a grudge and go berserk. With that in mind, he carefully checked Kang Heon-chang’s condition.

‘He won’t die from this.’

Kang Heon-chang’s heart was beating strongly, and his complexion was surprisingly good, almost as if he were faking it.

Jin-hyeok removed his hand from Kang Heon-chang and reached out to Moon Seok-il.

“Give me your hand.”

Moon Seok-il hesitantly extended his hand, wondering if Jin-hyeok was going to break even his uninjured hand.

“Your broken hand.”

Moon Seok-il frowned and extended his right hand, which had a broken finger. Without hesitation, Jin-hyeok grabbed it.

Crack-.

“Ugh!”

The broken finger, bent out of shape, snapped back into place.

“You should probably drive, old man.”

“Ah, right.”

Jeong Sang-tae and Kim In-rang looked pale, as if they were carsick.

For Moon Seok-il, who had undergone brutal training, the pain of a broken finger was just another familiar sensation. As Jin-hyeok handed over the driver’s seat, Moon Seok-il took the wheel.

He quickly started the engine and shifted into first gear. There was no time to worry about the pain in his hand. Seeing Kang Heon-chang, whose breathing had calmed as if he’d fallen asleep, made him anxious.

Whether he knew it or not, Jin-hyeok leaned into the car and growled.

“Don’t get any funny ideas.”

A piece of paper fluttered in Jin-hyeok’s hand.

It was a blank check with the price of Moon Seok-il and his crew’s lives written on it.

***

Vroom-. Watching the car drive away, Jin-hyeok headed home.

Investigating further was the priority, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d been dragged into something bad. His gut told him that the person behind them had also influenced his past life.

‘Someone who can send professionals like that won’t stop at just one attempt.’

Hong Ki-jun must have known something too, which is why he took action. It was possible he knew not just about the future but also about the past. If so, this incident might make it easier to open a dialogue with Hong Ki-jun.

Sigh-, he let out a deep breath.

Life was taking a strange turn.

He just wanted to live a normal life. He was content with his parents being alive and happy.

‘Nothing’s changed yet. I’ve just learned some new facts and figured out what I need to do. That’s a good thing.’

Still, Jin-hyeok’s goal of living a normal life remained valid.

Nodding as if to affirm this, he unfolded the paper.

‘What an unusual name.’

The paper contained contact information, addresses, and family relationships.

Jin-hyeok quietly read out the names of the men written on the paper.

Moon Seok-il, Jeong Sang-tae, Kang Heon-chang, Kim In-rang… For some reason, the names felt familiar. Even though he was sure he’d never met them before.

Tilting his head, he neatly folded the paper and put it in his pocket.

‘If it’s fake, there’s nothing I can do.’

Jin-hyeok shrugged.

He was just playing the villain, not actually planning to become one.

‘I’m surprisingly calm.’

Every time he found himself in a sudden situation, he felt this way, but this time it was more intense. Even while facing professional fighters wielding violence and knives, he didn’t get excited or confused. Instead, he was calm and collected, his heart beating slower than usual.

‘Someone who could stage an accident while waiting for Dad to show up.’

There was one suspicious person in the village. If Moon Seok-il couldn’t find out, he’d have to investigate that person, who had fled in the middle of the night years ago.

He remembered the conversation Choi Jang-hwan and Jo Il-hun had when they visited his house, sighing heavily.

– “That bastard got caught up in a cult and just ran off-.”

– “Eh-hey-. This guy’s always making excuses. Daesun never even prayed when he was sick-. He just took him straight to the hospital. How could someone like that fall for a cult?”

Jo Il-hun had been upset, saying they’d sold all their land and livestock and even went into debt to pay for his mother’s hospital bills.

‘If those uncles contact me, I’ll have to ask them to find Mr. Park Daesun.’

He’d instilled enough fear; now it was time to show mercy. It would be nice to help with the hospital bills, but he had no money. Being a student was a disadvantage in situations like this. Students have to go to school.

Still, the sense of belonging to both school and family was a comfort. Having a place to return to was such a blessing.

‘It’s time to have a serious talk with Dad and Mr. Hong Ki-jun.’

Now that the family had grown, it wasn’t just Dad’s problem anymore. With such a persistent enemy, if direct methods didn’t work, they’d likely provoke him in other ways.

That naturally made him worry more about his weak mother and young Yoo-jin.

‘Having the thugs watch from afar might not be enough. It’s unsettling if I’m not around.’

Jin-hyeok first stopped by Choi Mi-kyung’s house.

He picked up the ribs and front legs Jo Il-hun had given him and retraced his steps home. Not wanting to waste any time alone, he calmly sorted out the situation and made plans.

Son Jin-hyeok’s mind was filled with pages of plans.

Just as he was nearing home, a sound made his heart race ten times faster.

“Oppa-! Waaahhh-!”

“Oh no! Yoo-jin’s awake!”

The little one’s voice was so loud it seemed to shake the entire neighborhood.

Jin-hyeok’s legs started running like the wind. Time slowed, and even the sound of the wind in his ears seemed to quiet down. Soon, the house came into view.

“Waaahhh-! Oppaaa-!”

Yoo-jin, who had woken up and come out to the yard looking for her brother, was sitting on the ground hugging Jang Gun-i and crying. Jang Gun-i, also woken up, was licking Yoo-jin’s cheek with a dazed look. Despite Jang Gun-i’s efforts, Yoo-jin’s crying showed no signs of stopping.

Seeing his precious little sister crying for him felt like the harsh autumn sun was directly scorching his heart, or like he’d been pricked by a thorn. Jin-hyeok’s chest ached.

“Oh no, don’t cry. Don’t cry, little one-. Oppa’s sorry-.”

“Yeah, hehe-.”

As soon as Son Yoo-jin was scooped up by her brother, her crying stopped as if it had been a lie.

At nine years old in his past life, he’d cried so much when his parents didn’t return after going out to gather seaweed. This little Yoo-jin must have felt the same way, waking up and not seeing her brother to rely on.

His heart pounded violently, and without realizing it, his eyes grew hot.

“I’m sorry, Yoo-jin. It’s okay now.”

“Hehe-, Oppa’s here, right?”

Yoo-jin gently stroked Jin-hyeok’s cheek.

That touch melted the heart of the beast.

“Yeah, Oppa’s here.”

The siblings hugged each other tightly, comforting one another.

***

There was no medical center in Taeyang County.

Moon Seok-il drove 10 kilometers only to find a small private clinic, leaving him feeling utterly defeated.

“Damn it! Heon-chang’s going to die.”

He stepped on the accelerator hard, cursing. Kang Heon-chang was a comrade from his military days and one of the few friends he still worked with in civilian life.

“Seok-il hyung, I’m fine. I don’t think I’m going to die.”

“What? Heon-chang, are you really okay?”

“Yeah, earlier I thought I was done for, but now I don’t even feel any pain.”

Though his voice was weak, Kang Heon-chang explained his condition without much effort. He lightly touched the area where he’d been hit. It didn’t hurt. It wasn’t the numbness of necrotic tissue but the sensation of a healthy body.

“I think I’m really fine? Maybe a few ribs are broken.”

Moon Seok-il sighed in relief. But while he felt relieved, his head ached from the incomprehensible situation.

‘Did he dodge my blade?’

It felt like swinging a sword through thin air.

What about swordsmanship? It must have been a beanstalk. They were near a bean field. Son Jin-hyeok had picked up a thin, weak-looking stick like a beanstalk and swung it fiercely.

The first strike hit his wrist, making him drop the dagger. The second strike hit his forehead, drawing blood. The third strike pierced his side, and the fourth stopped just before his throat.

Moon Seok-il had a realization.

If he’d kept going, that beanstalk would have pierced his throat. Calling him a coward, Jin-hyeok broke his finger and punched him in the face. So, in essence, Moon Seok-il had been scolded by a rookie for doing something bad.

He couldn’t even remember how his hand got caught. It felt like he’d been hypnotized, lost his mind, and only came to when his finger was broken.

‘Hah-, I’m not even embarrassed.’

There was no time to be embarrassed. The only silver lining was that his friends were all unconscious, so they didn’t see him getting beaten.

That strange black shadow was still vivid in his memory. Moon Seok-il considered telling his friends about it but decided against it. It wasn’t just the fear of being called a coward.

– 【······With this, the contract is sealed. I’ll be watching how tight-lipped and steadfast you are.】

He was sure he’d said that in his mind. The silhouette that moved as one with Jin-hyeok and was seen as the same entity had acted independently. It truly had the dignity of a grim reaper.

The sound of Kang Heon-chang exhaling deeply came from the back seat.

“Seok-il hyung, what do we do?”

“What do we do? We keep our promise. Don’t forget, we owe him our lives.”

“Will we be okay?”

Would the person who hired them let it slide? The upfront payment wasn’t small. They must be a big shot. The two men, unable to move their jaws, listened to Moon Seok-il and Kang Heon-chang’s conversation with grim expressions, wiping away the dark red blood dripping from their lips.

Moon Seok-il, gripping the steering wheel with his left hand, sighed.

“I don’t know. But I can’t think of anything else.”

“Heh-.”

Kang Heon-chang chuckled bitterly at Moon Seok-il’s words.

Fear.

Would a helpless rabbit feel this way facing a giant tiger? Kang Heon-chang thought so. Jin-hyeok’s eyes, glaring at them in the car, warning them not to get any ideas. In those eyes, Kang Heon-chang experienced a fear he couldn’t resist or challenge.

“Seok-il hyung, should we retire?”

Kang Heon-chang whispered. Seeing Kang Heon-chang calm down, Moon Seok-il slowed the car and sighed again.

“That might be for the best.”

Once we find out who hired us. Since we failed, neither side will let it go. It was lucky that the guy we met today showed mercy.

The other two men nodded faintly.

‘How could we possibly defeat someone who uses a beanstalk for swordsmanship?’

The sound of the beanstalk slicing through the air seemed to echo in his ears. Moon Seok-il shuddered and instinctively covered his neck.

***

Even after the sun set and darkness fell, Jin-hyeok continued to review his plans.

He absentmindedly watched Yoo-jin and Jang Gun-i playing in the yard.

Yoo-jin, out of breath from running, stuck out her tongue and approached. She’d become quite close with Jang Gun-i, and her actions were starting to resemble the dog’s.

“Oppa, let’s roast the ribs, okay?”

Ah, right. Jin-hyeok jumped up as if startled.

He’d been so engrossed that he’d forgotten he hadn’t eaten since lunch.

‘No wonder.’

He’d been so hungry that he’d acted aggressively even toward the intruders.

Jin-hyeok nodded with a serious expression.

Engaging in the classic human behavior of self-justification, Jin-hyeok began gathering firewood in the yard.